


A place to land

by stuff_and_nonsense



Category: Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 02:10:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17133068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuff_and_nonsense/pseuds/stuff_and_nonsense
Summary: Amita comes back to New York after her Tinder date goes badly, not sure what to do next. Constance helps her figure it out.





	A place to land

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tam_Cranver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tam_Cranver/gifts).



> The prompt for this convinced me to watch Ocean's 8, so thanks!

Amita was back in New York, and nothing was the same.

She’d caught a taxi back from the airport, for one thing, and she’d been at an airport in the first place, for another, and her phone was full of messages, for a third. Replies from apartment listings, which she brushed aside to worry about later; a long message from her mom, a detailed family update that she was surprisingly glad to receive; an invitation from Debbie to get lunch later that week. And a message from Constance.

“u back?” it asked. “come tell me about it? u can see my new place too”

Well, why not? It would be good to see Constance, and she didn’t have any other plans right now. It still amazed her how ok with that she was. She’d been blown off by Asher, and she technically had nowhere to live, but none of that mattered. She could take this taxi right to the middle of Brooklyn, no need for her new Metrocard. She could stay in a hotel as long as she needed while she figured out her plans. She could even fuck back off to Paris if she wanted. She was free to do anything, and she never ever had to go back to her mother’s house ever again.

She got the address from Constance, and redirected the driver, then spent the rest of the ride flipping through her guidebook to Europe for the nth time. Maybe she’d go to London next. Maybe Constance would go with her, if she was getting tired of Brooklyn. It would be nice to have some company…

It wasn’t long before she was walking though the lobby of Constance’s apartment building. The place oozed money, despite the hipster décor, and it was a little intimidating. ‘You’re allowed to be here,’ Amita reminded herself. ‘Walk in like you know it.’

“Heeeeey, back from Paris,” Constance said she opened the door. “So spill, how was it? You have fun with Mr. ‘he-looks-kind’?”

“It was amazing,” Amita gushed as she pulled her bag into the apartment. “I went to the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre. All these places I thought I’d never get to see. And the food was so good, and I stayed out all night once, and it was just incredible.” She shrugged. “Asher was not so great though.”

“Was he, like, a shitbag?” Constance asked. “Or just boring?”

“I don’t know…” Amita said. “We had a nice dinner the first night, but he didn’t really say much. And then the next day, he told me he was busy, which was fine, you know, so I went off to explore on my own. But it was the same thing every day after that, and then I went to a restaurant one night, and I saw him there with another girl. Which was still fine, I guess, but I asked him about it the next morning and he said I was nice but I was a little old for him.”

“Gross,” said Constance. “And you paid for his ticket there, right?”

“Yeah,” Amita replied. “Which doesn't mean he has to hang out with me, but it was a little rude. And I was pretty surprised, you know? I thought he liked me when we were talking on the app. So I said so, that I was surprised, and he kind of blew up at me. Told me all the things he didn’t like. Mostly about the way I looked.“ It had been more unexpected than hurtful, at the time, but it made her wince now to think back on it.

Constance was scowling. “Fuck that guy,” she said. “We’re going to get revenge.”

Amita wasn’t so sure about that. He’d been mean, but she’d still gotten to see Paris. And somehow she wasn’t all that upset about the lost opportunity with him. “I don’t know…” she said.

“C’mon,” Constance protested. “At least let me meet him so I can steal his watch.” She paused, looked at Amita. “You really want to let it go? You’re worth more than that.”

“Well, maybe just a little revenge,” Amita conceded.

“Atta girl,” said Constance. “You wanna, uh, stay here for the night? It’s pretty late.”

That would be really nice, actually. She was exhausted from the flight, and it would be fun to hang out with Constance more. “Thanks,” she said. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Cool, cool. I’ll give you the grand tour,” Constance said, sweeping an arm out.

“I’ve seen your videos, actually!” Amita said. She looked around. The place looked a lot like it had on Youtube – big open floor space, strange assortment of furniture clustered on one wall– but most of the boxes had been unpacked, and there were a few more couches, huddled together invitingly in a corner.

“Really?” said Constance. “You watched that shit from Paris?” She tugged Amita’s bag over next to the couches, and started collecting blankets, dumping at least five of them on the largest couch.

They definitely weren’t something she’d have watched from anyone else, but she’d found herself missing the team, and Constance in particular, on some of those evenings alone in Paris. “Yeah, they were fun,” she said. “It’s a nice place.”

“Isn’t it?” said Constance. “I have so much space, it’s crazy. I always had to share with my sister in this tiny room. I’m gonna get a whole gaming system in here too, it’ll get even better.” She gave Amita a quick tour of the rest of the place, a tiny but high-tech bathroom and an untouched kitchen. There was a window, too, that gave them a view of the lights of Manhattan. Looking out though it, Amita felt that rush of possibility again. She could get an apartment like this, fill it with whatever she wanted, invite people to visit without having an argument about it every time.

“So do you have a plan in mind?” she asked. “For the revenge?”

“Hell yeah I do,” said Constance. “It’s pretty simple though. I can make it cooler if I sleep on it.”

“Simple works for me,” Amita said with relief. “The big con was enough stress for a lifetime.”

“Cool, cool,” said Constance. “First thing, we take a really hot picture of me.”

“I don’t think we could take one of you that isn’t,” Amita said before she could think about it. She wasn’t going to blush. She wasn’t.

Constance grinned at her. Amita was definitely blushing. “Damn right,” Constance said. “But like, shitty-straight-guy-hot.”

That occupied them for a good hour, getting Constance dressed up and figuring out which camera angle would net them the most cleavage. Constance had a surprisingly wide variety of clothes, everything from baggy t-shirts to clashing-patterned suits to tiny clubwear. “It’s gotta be classy, right?” said Constance. “He was into your pictures, so more that kind of hot.” They got it right eventually, nice jewelry and a dress that looked like a lower-cut version of most of Amita’s.

By the end of the night, they had a Tinder profile set up for “Maddi,” a gorgeously made-up woman who liked older men. It didn’t take long to find Asher, or for him to take the bait. Within the hour, Constance had a date set up for the next night, at a ritzy bar downtown. She got on the phone to call in a favor, while Amita wandered over to the window again. She was surprised by an arm around her waist as Constance finished the call and came up to join her.

“Got some help on board for tomorrow,” Constance said. “Enjoying the view?” She pulled her arm away and leaned her forearms against the windowsill, looking out. 

“Yeah, it’s amazing,” said Amita. “It’s weird how fast everything’s changed though. I keep looking at place and thinking, I could live there, I could live anywhere. I have just a terrifying amount of money.”

“It’s cool, right? Always knew I’d make it big,” said Constance. “It is kind of weird though, yeah. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but sometimes it’s like, well, what do I do now?”

Amita nodded. “I know what you mean. I wouldn’t give it up, but it’s a little scary too. I’m glad there’s someone else in the same boat.”

“Yeah, for sure,” Constance agreed. “Anyway, I’m gonna crash for the night. Couch ok for you?”

“Sounds good,” said Amita. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“No problem,” said Constance. “No point in all this fancy shit if there’s no one around to appreciate it. Well, less point.” 

Amita got ready for bed, and curled up on the couch. Even under the huge pile of blankets Constance had left, it was a little chilly. The apartment was big enough that the heat didn’t quite fill it.

Constance must have realized at the same time as she did. “Hey, so, I forgot how cold this place gets at night,” she called from the bed. “If you want to crash over here, and bring those blankets back, that’d probably work better. I won’t be weird about it if you’re not.”

Amita gratefully agreed, and fumbled her way over through the dark apartment, dropping the heap of blankets on the bed. It was much better, it turned out, with the extra layers of sheets and the nearby body heat. They were both small enough that they had plenty of space, which Amita regretted just a little. It had been a long time since she’d slept near someone else, not since the couple of sleepovers she’d attended as a kid.

Still, she tried not to let her cold feet brush against Constance as she settled in, and not to fidget too much. It turned out not to matter at all once Constance fell asleep. Within half an hour, Constance, lost to the world, had sprawled across most of the bed, taking up far more space than someone her size should be able to. Amita eventually gave up on trying to avoid contact, letting Constance’s arm bump against her back. She woke up the next morning to find Constance laying on top of her, sideways and facedown. Of the many blankets they’d started with, the bed now contained one, hanging halfway off the edge. 

It was pretty warm and comfortable though, with the body heat and the morning sunlight. Amita lay there until the weight on her stomach was too much, then wriggled her way out of the bed. Constance groaned as Amita shoved her off, then curled in on herself and kept sleeping.

Amita poked around the kitchen once she’d used the restroom and washed up. There wasn’t much in there – Constance seemed to favor takeout – so she slipped her coat on over pajamas and walked down to the street. There was a grocery store a couple blocks away, an overpriced boutique place, so she picked up eggs and cheese and vegetables, figuring she’d make omelets. She grabbed some cookware too – she wasn’t sure if Constance had the basics, and if she did, Amita could take it with her when she found her own place.

It turned out to be the right call – not even a frying pan upstairs. She was finishing up the second omelet when Constance wandered out, hair mussed from sleep.

“That smells fucking amazing,” Constance said, as Amita handed her a plate. She dug in. “I don’t usually like vegetables, or whatever this is, but this is like, the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“I used to make them a lot,” said Amita. “They’re kind of French, you know? But they seemed more approachable.” She watched Constance inhale the food. At least that practice had been good for something. “So what were you planning to do today?” she asked as she picked up the other omelet for herself.

“I was maybe gonna make another video,” Constance said through a mouthful of omelet. “Figured out a new skateboard trick. I’m open if you’ve got a better idea though.”

Amita should go apartment hunting maybe. Or look up investments? She’d never had to know how investments worked. There’d be time for that later though; now was still for catching up. “I thought I might go sight-seeing,” she said. “I’ve lived here my whole life, but my family was always working. I’ve barely even been to Manhattan, outside of school field trips.”

“You wanna go do tourist shit?” Constance asked, looking a little disgusted.

“What’s wrong with that?” said Amita. “I just want to see the things I’ve missed.”

“I guess I could survive a few hours,” Constance said. Was Amita imagining it, or did she look a little guilty? “As long as it’s not the Empire State Building. And, like, if you’re not sick of me yet.”

“I would love the company!” she said. She really would. Touring Paris alone had been lovely, but it would have been much nicer with someone at her side. Maybe Constance wasn’t quite who she had pictured, but she was, actually, quite excited to spend more time with her. 

They found themselves a couple hours later at the natural history museum. Amita had been once or twice as a kid, but it had been a very long time. The gems were obligatory, of course, and they killed a good three hours in the paleontology section. Constance, it turned out, had gone through an enormous dinosaur phase and never really gotten over it.

That carried them through until it was time to get ready for the date. They rode the subway back. Amita was a little tired already, but riding a pleasant buzz of good company and dinosaur facts. She looked at Constance, sprawled across two seats in an incredibly loud jacket. Not someone she’d expected to get along with, but she was lucky to know her.

Back at the apartment, they rushed Constance into makeup and another tight dress, then set out downtown in separate cabs. Amita walked around the neighborhood for a while, then made her way to the bar they’d picked out, just across the street from the restaurant where Constance and Asher were meeting. She found a spot by the window, where she’d be able to see them when they came out, then settled in with a drink and a novel.

She was still on the first drink when Constance texted her. “this guy’s soooo boring. we’re heading to your bar, plz save me D:” Amita looked out the window. They’d had rain off and on, enough that few people were out, just one man in a hoodie smoking down the block and occasional diners hurrying to their rides. She tried not to look at the man smoking – Constance’s friend, she knew, another part of their plan.

It was easy to spot when they left the restaurant. Constance was tucked under Asher’s arm, pulled in close. It rubbed her the wrong way, Amita was startled to realize. Was she actually jealous? She waited until they’d entered the bar, and then stood, feigning surprise. “Asher!” she said, catching them near the door. “Funny running into you here.”

“Amita!” he said, badly hiding his discomfort. “Good to see you, glad you made it back safe. No hard feelings, right?” He didn’t let go of Constance, his arm still wrapped around her shoulders.

“No, of course not,” she gushed. “How have you been? That flight back was so exhausting, right?” She forced herself not to look at Constance’s hand slipping into his pocket.

“Yeah, they’re always miserable,” he said. “I got stuck next to the grossest people too, all these – “ As he continued talking, Constance caught Amita’s eyes gave a small nod. She’d finished her work. She followed it up with a ‘gag-me’ gesture and wriggled out of Asher’s arm.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Amita cut in, “but I just wanted to tell you that I do have hard feelings actually. You let me pay for your ticket to Paris and then abandoned me because I wasn’t attractive enough, and you said nothing kind about anyone the whole time we talked. I’m not really upset, because I still had a great time, but you’re kind of a shitty person and I don’t want to listen to it anymore.” 

She hurried out the door, leaving him confused behind her. As she left, she heard Constance say loudly, “You went to Paris with her? You lying bastard!” Passing the window, she saw Constance grab the drink she’d left behind and toss it all over him, soaking his shirt with red wine.

Constance’s friend started to wander down the street as Amita walked away from the bar, heading towards the door, where if all went well he’d collide with Asher and provide a decoy for the missing wallet. Amita wanted to watch it happen, but she knew better than to wait around, so she flagged down a cab back to Constance’s place.

She puttered nervously around the apartment until Constance made it back an hour later. Everything had gone smoothly, it turned out. Asher had left the bar right away, scowling at his stained clothing, and Constance’s friend had bumped into him before he’d had time to so much as look at his phone. Constance had stormed out at the same time and ridden over to another neighborhood, where she’d grabbed the cash, bought some nice wine on his credit card, and ditched the rest of the wallet.

“And I got his watch, of course,” she added, pulling it out along with a bottle of wine. “My friend got out with no trouble too, says no way the mark saw his face. I’ll have to toss him some cash tomorrow, but other than that, think we’re in the clear.”

They’d pulled it off. Amita was still buzzing a little from nerves. This had been much smaller-scale than their last con, but they’d planned it themselves, and it had been more personal, and she’d been nervous. “Ok!” she said. “Fantastic! Do you want to break into some of that wine now?”

Constance grinned. “Hell yeah I do. Knew you could loosen up.”

 

A few hours later, they were curled up on the couch by the window, watching the sun rise. Amita’s nervousness was a distant memory; she was relaxed and comfortable and a little bit proud of them. She’d stopped drinking a while ago, and come down to just a pleasant sleepy buzz. 

Without thinking about it, she leaned over to rest her head on Constance’s shoulder. She felt the other woman’s arm wrap around her shoulders, and snuggled in closer, closing her eyes. Constance’s lips pressed against hers, and she leaned into that too – it felt really nice.

Her brain caught up, and she sat up with a start. “Oh! What are you doing?”

“Not obvious?” Constance said. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine though.”

Amita blinked at her. “You want to kiss me?” She pointed at herself incredulously. “But you’re so cool.”

“You know I’ve been flirting with you all day, right? I offered to go on a tourist bus for you. I don’t do that for people who aren’t smoking hot.”

Huh. When she thought back over the day, she could see how it might be interpreted like that. It just hadn’t been on her radar as a possibility. Of course she found Constance attractive, who wouldn’t, but- 

Right, yes, ok. Now that it had made it to the conscious part of her brain, that was obvious too. She found Constance really, really attractive, and she’d just backed away from a kiss. What was she doing?

She was making things better in her life, that was what she was doing, and she wasn’t going to stop here. She leaned back in towards Constance, kissed her fiercely. This was what she wanted, and she was here, and no one was going to tell her she couldn’t. Constance certainly wasn’t - she was pressing closer to her, wrapping a hand in her hair. Amita stopped worrying and let herself enjoy it.

Maybe she’d stay in New York for a while.


End file.
